Large feedlots which are utilized by cattle producers (e.g. ranchers) to improve cattle condition prior to rendering are faced with the problem of caring for a cattle population that may be extremely diverse. Both genetic as well as environmental factors contribute to the tremendously diverse cattle population within a given feedlot. Such diversity has greatly increased the complexity of large feedlots, because if a feedlot and producer desire to produce quality meat at the lowest possible cost for the maximum economic return, the individual needs of each animal must be assessed (e.g., the measuring and tracking of physical as well as other performance characteristics of each cow during their period at the feedlot). If such individuality is not addressed, the cost to produce quality meat may increase significantly while possibly reducing the maximum economic return to the feedlot and producer.
Many different systems and methods are presently available to address the need of effectively measuring and sorting animals individually. The majority of such systems and methods rely upon computer monitoring systems to monitor livestock development and activities. Although existing feedlot management methods and systems allow for the monitoring of desired livestock activities and development, inefficiency is still present within such methods and systems under certain conditions. For instance, while the monitoring of desired livestock parameters has been automated, current systems and methods still rely on manual movement of livestock throughout the sorting facility. As such, the current methods and systems are extremely labor intensive, inefficient, and even possibly injurious to animals.
Therefore, it would be desirable to create a system and method for the sorting or processing of livestock to overcome the above mentioned limitations of manual movement of livestock throughout the sorting facility thereby increasing the efficiency of such activities.